I wasn’t planning on booking a hotel stay. In fact, I wasn’t even thinking about hotels at all. But then, I saw the ads.
Source: creativereview.co.uk
It wasn't your usual campaign promising "luxury" or "unbeatable deals." Just a quiet, clever nudge:
“Room to daydream.”
“Fluffy bathrobes on tap.”
“Silence.”
Short, sweet and irresistible. Paired with sun-drenched visuals, the whole thing stopped me from scrolling further. In a world of hotel ads that are obsessed with price comparisons and overwhelm you with reviews and booking forms, Dayuse stood out like a ray of sunshine. And the more I saw, the more I was hooked.
I started imagining myself in a luxurious room for the day. Six hours, to be exact, to do whatever I wanted. Soak in the tub. Go full beast mode in the gym. Sample every pillow option on the menu just because I could. And all at a price that didn’t make me question my ability to afford dinner later.
I wasn’t looking for a getaway, but apparently, a getaway was looking for me.
And here’s the kicker: the ad was British. I’m not. But there I was, mentally booking a six-hour rendezvous with a hotel in Singapore like it was fate.
And that, dear reader, is the mark of great advertising.
Because when a campaign really lands, it doesn’t just stay local — it transcends borders, logic and even your to-do list. It makes you feel something before you realise it.
What captured my attention was how unexpectedly gentle the ads felt. Dayuse didn’t demand I book, but invited me to imagine how good a break could feel. They tapped into a universal craving for respite and made me feel like I deserved this little escape.
As advertising professionals, we love to dissect the craft, but every now and then, even we get swept up in the story.
So here’s to the ads that sidestepped the hard sell. That doesn’t just make you want something — but makes you act on it. And to Dayuse — for the dreamy copy, simple aesthetics and for getting me to book a getaway I had zero intention of taking.
Until I did.
Amanda Colleen Wijaya